Casting one’s eyes upon championship-winning motocross bikes—the actual bikes that crossed finish lines to win umber-one plates—can be, if one is open to it, a mesmerizing crash course in moto history. Nowhere is this dynamic more
evident than in the lobby of the big white building visible from the
91 freeway in Corona, California. It is there that Pro Circuit Racing
International is based, housing an astonishing lineup of 125cc and
250cc motocross machinery. With upwards of 30 National championships and 250-plus race wins, these machines have contributed
to a racing juggernaut like no other. Motocross Action swung by
Pro Circuit to catch up with Pro Circuit overlord and mastermind
Mitch Payton. We hung out in the shop and let Mitch reflect on
the remarkable assemblage of history-making equipment displayed
there. One hour turned into three, and along the way, Payton handpicked six of the bikes that not only meant a lot to him, but had
remarkable stories and anecdotes behind them. Nobody can tell a
motocross tales better than Mitch Payton, and when he got going,
we were all ears.